Run in 2014 Without Running into Injuries: 5 Safety Tips

Running is one of the most effective and popular exercises ways to stay in shape and burn off calories. However, it can create strain on the muscles and joints of the lower body, making injuries a common occurrence among runners. Here are 5 tip to keep you running injury-free throughout 2014.

 

1. If It’s Painful, Stop

If you experience any discomfort during your run, stop immediately before the pain gets worse. Your body is trying to tell you that something isn’t right, and it’s more important to attend to the issue than push through your run. As you’re recovering from an injury, it’s also important to listen to your body and not return to your running regime too quickly.

 

2. Don’t Do Too Much

You may be excited to start a new running program or increase your mileage, but pushing yourself too hard is a surefire way to cause injury. It’s important to build up your endurance slowly. One common rule is to increase the distance or amount of time you run by no more than 10% a week. Be sure to give yourself adequate time to recover between runs.

 

3. Warm-up and Stretch

Before beginning your run, it’s important to warm-up your body. Walking for five minutes or engaging in a set of jumping jacks can help get the blood flowing. Stretching is also a vital part of any runner’s routine, but stretches should be performed after your body is warmed up. The hamstrings and calves are especially important to stretch, as they are two of the spots most susceptible to injury.

 

4. Get the Proper Shoes

Finding the correct shoes can help reduce strain on your joints and keep your feet comfortable. As everyone has different feet and a different running style, you’ll want to do some research before making a purchase. Shoes should also be replaced every 300 – 500 miles, as worn out shoes can cause foot issues. If you have foot issues even with the right shoes, it can be wise to seek out a professional, such as Dalhousie Station Foot Clinic. It is much better to treat a potential injury early than wait. Good shoes can be a big part of your recovery and help you get back into the sport faster.

 

5. Do Strength Training

Strengthening your muscles and joints is a great way to stave off injury. Your hips and core are especially important in running, as they promote stability in your legs, and strengthening those areas can lead to increased running performance. Upper body strengthening can also help you run in a more balanced fashion and maintain speed through longer runs.

Categories: body, foot issues, injuries, Injury, nbsp, Run, Running, Safety, Shoes, Tips

Little Lifestyle Tweaks that Can Cause Major Weight Loss

You buy the books, you sign up to the classes and you even fill your cupboards with the lemongrass and bulgar wheat, but the second a colleague offers you a cupcake, that’s it; diet out the window. Surely there’s a better way to lose weight than going the whole hog and falling at the first hurdle? According to Marissa Lippert, RD, author of The Cheater’s Diet, making a few tweaks here and there, rather than taking the all-or-nothing approach, ‘can lead to more weight loss than you ever imagined.’ So, which of our dieters’ slim-down secrets can help your weight loss wellness in a real-world way?

 

1. Eat in a little more: Kerri Butler, of Joplin, Missouri, notes, ‘I used to eat out at restaurants up to nine times a week! By cutting back to just once a week and ordering a grilled chicken salad instead of a large bowl of pasta, I’ve lost 20 pounds in one month.’

 

2. You can buy salty snacks, just not at the supermarket: ‘I reached my goal weight after I stopped routinely buying snacks at the grocery store’ says Heather Del Baso, Worcester, Massachusetts. ‘If I wanted a bag of chips or a candy bar, I had to walk to the store to get it. That inconvenience usually made me ignore my cravings.’

 

3. Never skip breakfast: Bo Hale, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, explains, ‘I used to skip breakfast, but now I never go without. I always eat about 300 calories of a healthy mix of protein and whole grains. My go-to meal: a sandwich with natural peanut butter and apple butter. It keeps my hunger down so I snack less throughout the day. In a little over a year, I’ve shed 65 pounds.’

 

4. Run, Forrest, Run: ‘When I wanted to fit into my skinny jeans again, I started running 20 minutes a day during my lunch hour,’ says Lauren Castor, Anniston, Alabama. ‘In two months, I’ve lost 20 pounds, have tons of energy, and just finished my first 5K. Those jeans? They’re too big now!’

 

5. Just quit: Leila Fathi, Memphis, Tennessee, asserts, ‘I quit smoking, and right away joined a gym and started working out with a personal trainer. There was no way I could exercise and feel healthy if I kept lighting up. I’ve already dropped 37 pounds in three months!’

 

6. Purge your sins: ‘I totally cleaned out my pantry,’ Lori Feldman, Coconut Creek, Florida, remembers. ‘Once I replaced the foods I used to overindulge in, like ice cream, with lower-cal snacks, such as roasted sunflower seeds or Special K Chocolatey Delight cereal, I began making better choices automatically. Now, I’m slimmer than I was before I had my two kids!’

 

7. Turn happy hour into healthy hour: ‘After work, my colleagues and I always grabbed dinner—and it was usually deep-fried,’ admits Ellen Setzer of Cleveland, Ohio. ‘Then we changed things up. Instead of nights out, we started walking and running around a local track. A year later, I’m down 40 pounds.’

 

8. Let the music take control: ‘I loaded my iPod with jams that make me look forward to going to the gym,’ Kara Marshall, York, Maine, comments. ‘They energise me, allowing me to pick up speed on the elliptical—and because I want to hear my entire playlist, my workouts are longer now. Two months later, I’m down 13 pounds and have killer legs.’

 

9. Add a few veggies into the mix: Janessa Mondestin, New York City, New York, asserts, ‘By adding vegetables to the foods I love—like eating pizza topped with arugula and green peppers instead of pepperoni—I became so full so quickly that I no longer had room to eat things like chips or super-rich desserts. I said good-bye to four dress sizes!’

Categories: breakfast, Healthy, nbsp, pounds, pounds nbsp, Run, skip breakfast, snacks, ve lost, vegetables, weight, Weight Loss